food cost

[Anna Michele]

One simple way to reduce your grocery bill is to keep a garbage journal. Keep track of everything that you throw out and find a use for it instead. Bottom crumbs of cereal box can be used for cookies, cracker and bread crumbs used for stuffing or bread pudding, boil bones to get the last bits of meat and nutrients, wash vegetables instead of peeling, learn how to use fruit peelings- edible, juiced or flavouring, use all leftovers.
Sell your recyclables, reuse plastic containers, trade with others.

Great idea. Dh says I waste too much. Although I already do some of these I am going to keep track of what I'm wasting. My green bin is always full.
Even egg shells and fruit peels can be used in the garden

[padyofurniture]

Make your own seasonings at home and stop buying sodium packed ones in the stores. At least you can pronounce the ingredients lol and you can buy just the amounts you need at Bulk Barn.

TACO SEASONING


2 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp chili powder


Blend all spices in a bowl and transfer to an airtight container.


Useapprox. 1 Tbsp per pound of meat.



CREOLE SEASONING


2 1/2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp pepper
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried thyme


Blend all spices in a bowl andtransfer to an airtight container.



RIB RUB


1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup paprika
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper


Blend all spices in a bowl and transfer to an airtight container.

[torontogal12]

By "Starry" I mean "stir fry"

Darn autocorrect

The Chinese stores are definitely the place to go for produce around here. Usually 10-20% less than the chains (aside from Freshco). They often do sizeable packs of pre cut starry mixed veggies (fresh) for $2

[abbasgirl]

By "Starry" I mean "stir fry"

Darn autocorrect

I thought it was some kind of Asian vegetable.

[LisaLisaBoBisa]

Groceries have def gone up - DH and I haven't bought diapers or formula for 8 month old at all yet we keep spending. All and all though I've been blaming "laziness" or lack of prep on my end for our grocery bill.. Rice, pasta - all of those are cheap (recently free) add some chicken or beef and a veggie or two and I'm not finding it super expensive - of course that's just 1 meal though.. West coast prices seem out of this world to me. $9 for potatoes? I get annoyed with $3.99..

[SavvyLady]

This week 10 lbs potatoes are $1.47 at no frills and 10 lbs of onions and carrots are $1.97..pm this at Walmart or Superstore if you don't have a no frills near you..these will go a long way for stews, stir frys, all kinds of side dishes..there are a lot of deals!!

[LisaLisaBoBisa]

Do you mean coming up starting on Fridays sale? Or now? I don't remember seeing it on sunday grocery trip

[LIVE SIMPLE]

"Bottom crumbs of cereal box can be used for cookies,' LOL I thought I am the only one doing it...
I use Nature Path crumbs from cereal in my oatmeal cookies... I just can not handle throwing out good staff...

One simple way to reduce your grocery bill is to keep a garbage journal. Keep track of everything that you throw out and find a use for it instead. Bottom crumbs of cereal box can be used for cookies, cracker and bread crumbs used for stuffing or bread pudding, boil bones to get the last bits of meat and nutrients, wash vegetables instead of peeling, learn how to use fruit peelings- edible, juiced or flavouring, use all leftovers.
Sell your recyclables, reuse plastic containers, trade with others.

[lecale]

.

[walkonby]

Do you mean coming up starting on Fridays sale? Or now? I don't remember seeing it on sunday grocery trip

Giant Tiger has their 10 lb white potatoes on for the same great price $1.47 and the sale starts today! ( Wed Dec 10th )

[Shwa Girl]

@idonovan
looks like you started a great thread
lots of people on here have some great tips that will help a lot of people
just wanted to say thanks for bringing up the issue
awesome

[SavvyLady]

Do you mean coming up starting on Fridays sale? Or now? I don't remember seeing it on sunday grocery trip

Starting this Friday !

[pippinelkhound]

Haven't seen potatoes at that price in AB in years!

[Andit]

Here are a couple of easy, economical dishes that freeze well (buy ingredients when on sale or in season, make a large batch and freeze in portion sizes for an easy meal). They're my Mom's recipes (I change the ones using tomatoes, since I'm allergic, I just add extra peppers and skip the forbidden fruit or is it a vegetable? ).

Chicken Paprikas
Saute 1 diced onion in a couple of tablespoons of oil.
When the onion starts to get translucent, add a healthy dose of paprika (sweet or hot, depending on your taste).
Then add chicken (whatever cut you like or is cheapest - legs work well and are reasonably priced).
Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes or so (you want to get the cooking process started in the chicken, if using a better cut like breast, then you don't need to do this as long).
Add 3 tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces.
Add 3 peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces (any pepper will do, my Mom uses the yellow peppers with a little bit of bite to them, but green peppers work just as well).
Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
Leave it to simmer on low for about an hour, give or take.
It's ready when the chicken is tender.
You can serve it over rice or noodles or as is with bread to sop up the sauce (there should be quite a bit of sauce from the water in the veggies).

You can substitute pork or beef for the chicken.


Lecso (pronounced lech-oh)
Saute 1 diced onion in a couple of tablespoons of oil.
When the onion starts to get translucent, add a healthy dose of paprika (sweet or hot, depending on your taste).
Add sausage (in chunks or whole, any sausage will do though I tend towards Debreceni or Italian), 3 tomatoes (cut into 1 inch pieces), and 3 peppers (cut into 1 inch pieces - any pepper will do, my Mom uses the yellow peppers with a little bit of bite to them, but green peppers work just as well).
Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
Leave it to simmer on low for about an hour, give or take.
This one creates a lot of sauce, you can add a cup of rice 10ish minutes before it's done. Or you can serve it without the rice over pasta or over mashed potatoes. Or eat it as is with lots of bread.


Potato Paprikas
Saute 1 diced onion in a couple of tablespoons of oil.
When the onion starts to get translucent, add a healthy dose of paprika (sweet or hot, depending on your taste).
Add 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced.
Add 1-2 sausages, sliced thinly (I tend to use 1 sausage per 2 potatoes).
Add half a cup of water (I like extra 'sauce').
Mix and leave it to simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hr.
It's done when the potatoes are tender (so you can mash them into the sauce ).
(This one is my fav & I almost always have a container or 2 of it in my freezer)


These all freeze well. On my good days I make a big pot of this and I then have several dinners on days I'm not up to cooking.


I also cook up things like sweet potato when on sale. A few months ago, I bought a large bag for $2.50, sliced the potatoes about 1.5cm thick, grilled them until soft, mashed them up & put them into containers to freeze. When I wanted a side dish, I pulled out a container, nuked it, added a bit of maple syrup which I mixed in & simple side dish in 5 minutes.

For dog biscuits, I get whatever veggie or fruit is on clearance at the store (carrots, brocolli, cauliflower, banana all work well). I cook up the veggies til easily mashed with a fork. I take a cup of the veggies and add enough water to make thin it out (sort of soup consistency - about a cup of water per cup of mashed veggies), then add enough flour to make into a dough. I roll it out and cut into shapes. For chewy cookies, I bake at 350F for 20 minutes. For crunchy cookies, I bake at 250F for an hour and leave in the oven until it cools (usually I bake in the evening and leave them overnight). I also make pb cookies in a similar way - 1 cup pb, 1 cup milk (I find it makes the cookies creamier than using water, but water works just as well) and enough flour to make a dough. For about $5 worth of ingredients, I have $20 worth of store-bought treats, and I know what ingredients are in them.

[Andit]

The joke here is, do you want to finish this up honey? Or should we put it out for the racoons?

Honestly I would rather have moments where the fridge is a bit bare, than have so much food that we're tossing it and the raccoons have our garbage spread out all over the lawn. I am proud to say we have the least exciting garbage out of all our neighbours

A friend of mine has started feeding the racoons that have taken up residence in the backyard. Since putting out scraps, they have stopped digging up the garden and are eagerly waiting for sunset so they can line up at the composter and help themselves.